CNN's GUT CHECK | for September 18, 2013 | 5 p.m. – n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

HEADING TOWARDS A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: House Republican leaders are considering a vote this week on a short-term spending bill to keep the government running and defund Obamacare, according to senior House GOP aides, a move that increases the possibility of a government shutdown. – Deirdre Walsh

REPUBLICANS: “There should be no conversation about shutting the government down. That's not the goal here,” House Speaker John Boehner said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “Our goal here is to cut spending and to protect the American people from Obamacare. It's as simple as that. There are no interests in our part in shutting the government down.”

DEMOCRATS: President Barack Obama Wednesday blamed an "ideological faction" of the Republican Party for the "ideological fight" currently underway in Congress over the budget. "I'm happy to negotiate with them around the budget … What I will not do is to create a habit, a pattern, whereby the full faith and credit of the United States ends up being a bargaining chip to set policy," Obama told the roughly 100 CEOs gathered in Washington. "It's irresponsible."

CROSSFIRE: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Texas Gov. Rick Perry face off at 6:30 p.m. ET in what we expect will be a highly charged debate between two potential 2016 presidential candidates. Earlier today, Perry visited Maryland in an effort to lure businesses to the Lone Star State. And just hours ago, O’Malley announced he is heading to New Hampshire in November. http://on.cnn.com/16mumNL

MARKET WATCH: Dow and S&P add about 1% to close at record highs after Fed announces it will continue stimulus.

Not really a common question on Capitol Hill, but according the findings of a 2013 study from Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the answer could be clear: they could exist in a feedback loop.

The study found that the 1995 Congress was the most partisan in over 100 years and the kick-starter for the ideological divisiveness that is now the norm.

When then-President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich couldn't agree on funding for Medicare, education and other expenditures, the federal government shut down twice when non-essential government workers were put on furlough. The debate over the shutdown was highly contentious, partisan and at times ugly.

Fast forward nearly 20 years: It is that culture of partisanship that is currently being blamed for the gridlock on Capitol Hill that has the White House and Congress currently walking towards another government shutdown.

In short, a shutdown beget partisanship and that same partisanship could beget another government shutdown in less than two weeks.

Partisanship "started changing in Clinton’s 1st term (1993-1994) and solidified in the 104th Congress (1995-1996), with polarization returning to hyper levels not seen in nearly 100 years," James Moody of Duke University and Peter Mucha of UNC wrote.

Since the shutdown, while the level of polarization has ebbed and flowed, it has remained more partisan than it ever was before the '95 shutdown.

"This level of polarization could be self-reinforcing," Moody and Mucha wrote. "Since success in middle positions requires coalitions and trust that are unlikely given so many party loyalists."

the LEDEDid you miss it?

Leading CNNPolitics:Government shutdown: Again? Seriously? "We've seen the movie before," Sen. John McCain said recently on CNN's "New Day." Oh, how right you are, Senator. – Leigh Ann Caldwell

Leading Drudge:Mother: 'So, So Very Sorry' The mother of the man who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard says she is "so, so very sorry that this has happened." Cathleen Alexis said Wednesday in New York City that she does not know why her son, Aaron, did what he did and she will never be able to ask him. – From the AP

Leading HuffPo: Reality Check: Graham Clowns Tea Party Republicans GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham joked on Tuesday that the inescapable fact that shutting down the government will not stop Obamacare was merely a "technical" detail that doesn't interest Republicans bent on a shutdown. – Ryan Grim

Leading Politico:Issa: I can call Hillary Clinton back Rep. Darrell Issa says the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee can “certainly” call back former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify on Benghazi. “We can certainly have Mrs. Clinton back; our view is that we need to get to the facts,” Issa (R-Calif.) told Fox News in a clip that aired Wednesday. – Lucy McCalmont

Leading The New York Times:House Bill Cuts Health Funds, Raising Odds of U.S. Shutdown House leaders will put to a vote on Friday a stop-gap spending measure that would strip all funding from President Obama’s health care law, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown. – Jonathan Weisman and Ashley Parker

HOT SOTSThe political bites of the day

- Tea Party: Yay Boehner! -JENNY BETH MARTIN, NATIONAL COORDINATOR OF TEA PARTY PATRIOTS, IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT: “We are encouraged that Speaker Boehner has agreed to a vote on a Continuing Resolution that funds the entire federal government through mid-December but completely defunds ObamaCare. Based on what we have seen so far, it accomplishes what Congressman Graves, Congressman Meadows, and other House Republicans who are standing up against ObamaCare have sought. It’s not enough for Speaker Boehner to agree to a vote on a CR. He must make sure this bill passes, march it over to the Senate and continue to fight for its passage.”

- Kamikazes, General Custer and monetary politics -REPUBLICAN REP. PETER KING TO REPORTERS ON CAPITOL HILL: We can't let the government shut down. We can't be Kamikazes and we can't be General Custer.

- Hagel vows to correct possible security issues -SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL AT A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH REPORTERS: "Where there are gaps we will close them. Where there are inadequacies we will address them. And where there are failures we will correct them. We owe the victims, their families and all our people nothing less."

- Fascinating testimony from the Army Chief of Staff on the future of war -GEN. RAY ODIERNO, ARMY CHEIF OF STAFF, AT A HEARING ON CAPITOL HILL: "There are some who have suggested there will be no land wars in the future. While I wish that were true unfortunately there is little to convince me that we will not ask our soldiers to deploy again in the future. We have also learned from previous drawdowns that the full burden of an unprepared and hollow force will fall directly on the shoulders of our men and women in uniform. We have experienced this too many times in our nation’s history to repeat this egregious error again."

soundoff(18 Responses)

could somebody waterboard bo ner with some cheap scotch give some smokes then send him packing to his mistress' house?

September 18, 2013 05:11 pm at 5:11 pm |

Guess Who

Republicans will fund everything except Obamacare. How is that "shutting down the government"?

If they cut spending for any other program, would government shut down? Of course not. Government will shut down because OBAMA wants it shut down. He is not done inflicting his leftist wrath on this nation. Five years of record unemployment just isn't enough pain.

September 18, 2013 05:16 pm at 5:16 pm |

Tampa Tim

Perry has covered his boots ( liberty and freedom ) with a lot of cattle crap. I am thinking it helps him remember which one goes on his left foot. (Liberty?)

September 18, 2013 05:30 pm at 5:30 pm |

Tampa Tim

We have had enough right wingnut wrath to last a lifetime. When their party closely aligns with Putin, even they should see they do not represent America, and stop their insanity.

September 18, 2013 05:33 pm at 5:33 pm |

Sniffit

" only due to an apparent gaffe by his SOS was he able to back himself out of the corner that he put us in."

More RWNJ gloss-over fairy tales. Kerry had been in close contact and discussing an alternative with Sergie Lavrov before he even made that comment.

September 18, 2013 05:34 pm at 5:34 pm |

Sniffit

"Perry, proud of his long Texas heritage"

Which includes a family ranch called N-erhead.

NOTHING to be proud of there.

September 18, 2013 05:36 pm at 5:36 pm |

Sniffit

"Republicans will fund everything except Obamacare. How is that "shutting down the government"?"

Do you not understand what an ultimatum is? Do you not understand that the GOP/Teatrolls in the House are just a part of the process and don't get to tell the Senate and the POTUS "take it or leave it" and "we either get everything we want or we shut down the gov't" without themselves taking the blame for failing to negotiate in good faith and attempt to compromise if the Senate and POTUS say "no, sorry, you don't just get to dictate to us...we got elected too"? Understand this, if nothing else: the only people convinced by your arguments are the people who wanted to blame the Dems and Obama for it even before you attempted to provide them with an argument for doing so, however irrational, and the only thing such echo-chamber confirmation bias is going to earn you is another rude awakening. People, like Rubio, spewing that backwards spin on the GOP/Teatrolls' attempts to rule the nation by fiat, by hostage taking, by manufacturing crises and then demanding concessions for them to be unmade, have a very VERY disappointing decade ahead of them.

September 18, 2013 05:45 pm at 5:45 pm |

Thomas

“Our goal here is to cut spending and to protect the American people from Obamacare.

It's as simple as that.
House Speaker John Boehner has done nothing in the last 8 years .Absolutely Nothing !

September 18, 2013 05:45 pm at 5:45 pm |

Sniffit

And BTW, "tom l":

""In Russia live Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws.

If they prefer Sharia Law, then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law. Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'.

We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of most minorities.

When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the national interest first, observing that the minorities are not Russians."

-Vladmir Putin, February 4, 2013

Go ahead. Argue that's not racist. Amuse me.

September 18, 2013 05:45 pm at 5:45 pm |

Guess Who

Sniffit
--
"Republicans will fund everything except Obamacare. How is that "shutting down the government"?"
-–
Do you not understand what an ultimatum is? Do you not understand that the GOP/Teatrolls in the House are just a part of the process and don't get to tell the Senate and the POTUS "take it or leave it"
-–

There is no ultimatum. There is a decision to be made. The Constitution gives the HOUSE the power of the purse. If it does not wish to spend money on something, that is the will of the people being expressed. If the Democrats in the Senate and Obama refuse to fund the rest of the govenrment then that is THEIR decision.

The American people don't want Obamacare, even after all these years. It is mess and people are already seeing the pending disaster. Just ask your union buddies that USED to support it. I fully support defunding it. If the Democrats insist on shutting down the government to FURTHER FORCE OBAMACARE DOWN OUR THROATS then it is THEY that will pay a price in 2014.

September 18, 2013 05:58 pm at 5:58 pm |

TyMD

How easily Obama, Congress, and, just now, Newt openly say that the other side needs to negotiate with them. At what point did our government become a "negotiation of democracy" and not a representative of the people of America?
It is obvious that "our" elected officials have taken a position of bickering and power, rather than listening to our views.
You want a soundbite? How about this: "Congress" has forgotten their REAL TITLE, "State Representatives"!!!

September 18, 2013 06:18 pm at 6:18 pm |

Winston Smith

If I were a republican, I'd be awfully ashamed of my party. Never in the history of or nation has there been a political party, in such disarray as the current G.O.P.. But what's really scary, is the number of mentally challenged among us that believe the republican(s), have their interest at heart. Nothing could be further from reality.

September 18, 2013 09:03 pm at 9:03 pm |

Michael Benjamin

GOPTP whiners were unable to prevent passage of Obamacare. Until they have the votes to repeal it Obamacare is the law of the land and their constitutional responsibilities require them to faithfully execute the laws of the land.

September 19, 2013 01:05 am at 1:05 am |

Michael Benjamin

Putin, the czar that never was.

September 19, 2013 01:07 am at 1:07 am |

J.V.Hodgson

Sniffit,
I agree with almost every post of yours I read.... but I got a reply recently that said what makes me think I win with logic and facts and meaningful debate in arguments against ideologues.
I wont give up and am sure you wont. you r last brilliance was re Putin " Go ahead . Argue that's not racist. Amuse me."
Regards,
Hodgson.
PS some give a great belly laugh keep it up.

September 19, 2013 01:47 am at 1:47 am |

Beefburger

"What I will not do is to create a habit...." Mr. President, your out of control spending is like your smoking, they are both bad habits.

September 19, 2013 07:06 am at 7:06 am |

Beefburger

They pass Obamacare to have to find out what is in it, then they exempt themselves and all of their friends from it. Even Barry's biggest supporters, the unions, are crying foul on this stinkbomb.